Lamp fixture for low intensity display sign



Jan. 31, 1967 w. H. HAIRE 3,302,059

LAMP FIXTURE FOR LOW INTENSITY DISPLAY SIGN Filed June 24, 1964 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1/ IIl ll 1 g v Jan. 31, 1967 w. H HAIRE LAMP FIXTURE FOR LOW INTENSITY DISPLAY SIGN Filed June 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet z Z @l mu) FIGS 3,302,059 LAMP FIXTURE FOR LOW INTENSITY DISPLAY SIGN William H. Haire, 2280 Brixton Road, Columbus, (lhio 43221 Filed June 24, 1964, Ser. No. 377,561 10 Claims. (Cl. 315-254) The present invention relates to a lamp fixture for a low intensity cellular display sign of the type described in my copending applications, Ser. Nos. 273,948, filed April 18, 1963, now abandoned, and 331,020, of which latter application, now abandoned, the instant application is a continuation-in-part, filed December 16, 1963, the term fixture comprehending the lamp holder and the power supply or transformer therefor.

A feature of this sign is that it is illuminated by a plurality of series connected low intensity gaseous discharge lamps, known as neon type lamps or cold cathode lamps. Thus, the arrangement calls for a high voltage power source. Voltages of the magnitude encountered, such as from 7,000 to 10,000 volts, introduce wiring problems.

An object of my invention is to provide a fixture which eliminates exposed wiring and also permits a relatively heavy transformer to be supported directly by the sign structure so that the lamp holder may be relieved of the weight thereof.

According to a preferred embodiment of my invention, the lamp holder is in the form of an elongate sheet metal receptacle, in one wall of which are located lamp sockets in the form of glass or porcelain electrode housings. The series circuit connections are made between the terminals of the electrode housings, and then the receptacle is filled with asphaltic potting compound. The electrical connections may be made either of bare wire or of insulated wire, but in either event the potting compound maintains the desired spacing between the conductors and the metal parts, and excludes moisture and humidity from the wiring, thus rendering the sign suitable for outdoor use.

According to another embodiment, the lamp holder is in the form of a socket block which is molded or cast from a synthetic resin.

Other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In reference now to the drawings in which like refercnce numerals designate like parts:

FIG. 1 is an exploded elevation of a fixture embodying my invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sections taken along lines 2-2 and 33 respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an electrical diagram illustrating the operation;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the cellular construction of the sign;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modification;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the lamp holder shown in FIG. '6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section taken along line 88 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary elevation showing the invention as applied to straight tubular lamps.

In FIG. 1 the fixture 10 comprises two separate elements, a transformer 11 and a lamp holder 12.

The lamp holder 12 comprises an elongate sheet metal container 13 having openings formed in one surface to receive a plurality of electrode housings 14. These are glass or porcelain cylinders which are closed at one end and which function as lamp sockets. A contact spring 15 is disposed within each electrode housing for engaging the ferrule type terminal 16 of a neon type or cold cathode lamp 17.

United States Patent G ice The body of the electrode housing 14 is provided with a screw thread which engages a threaded opening in the bottom wall 18 of the container 13.

The contact springs 15 are held in place by terminal screws 19 which extend through the closed end of the electrode housing and are connected to each other in pairs by conductors 20 in order'to provide a series circuit be tween a plurality of U-shaped lamps 17.

After the connections have been made between the conductors 20 and the electrode housings 14 and certain terminal posts 21, the container 13 is filled with a potting compound 22 such as an asphaltic base compound. A cover 23 is secured to the container 13 after potting.

A mica strip 24 overlies the onductors 20 and provides a suitable dielectric between the conductors and the cover 25.

The terminal posts 21 are mounted on the cover 23, and are formed of glass or porcelain with a threaded shank 25 which engages a threaded opening in the cover 23. The conducting core of the terminal post 21 is in the form of a screw 26 to which conductors 27 may be secured. Conductors 27 connect the terminal post 21 to the first or last electrode housing 14 of the series, as the case may be. Since these connections are made prior to potting operation, i.e., when the cover 23 is lying beside the container 13, the conductors 27 are of a length suificient to extend through openings in the mica strip 24 and out of the top of the container 13 and reach the nut end of the screws 26.

The mica strip 24 has openings sufficiently large to accommodated the threaded shanks 25 and the end portion of conductor 27 so that when the cover 23 is placed on the filled container 13, the excess conductor length and the shanks 25 sink into the molten potting compound.

The terminal posts 21 are oifset inwardly from the first and last electrode housings to provide room for convenient accommodation of the above mentioned excess conductor length. The conductors 27 and 20 are preferably insulated conductors (high voltage cable) since the exact position of the conductors 27 with respect to the container side walls is somewhat unpredictable. Due to the potting, the insulation is not subject to deterioration from corona discharge.

The cover has mounting studs extending from its surface.

The transformer 11 is provided with two electrode housings 29, similar in construction to the electrode housings 14. The terminal posts 21 are received within the electrode housings 29, the head end of the screw 26 engaging the contact springs 30 to complete the series connection between the secondary winding of the transformer 11 and the neon type lamps 17 (FIG. 4). The latter may either be U-shaped, as shown, or straight, in which event a second lamp holder, without terminal posts, is used.

The nature of the cellular sign is indicated in FIG. 5. The legs of the U-shaped lamps 17 are located between two translucent corrugated panels 31. The V-shaped corrugations 32 provide elongate parallel cells in which the lamps 17 are centered to provide substantially uniform luminosity over the whole panel area, as pointed out in my aforesaid copending application, Serial No. 273,948.

As above indicated, a feature of the present invention is that the two-part fixture can be placed on opposite sides of a structural member of the sign, as described in the aforesaid copending application, Serial No. 331,020, to the end that the relatively heavy transformer 11 may be supported directly by the sign structure, instead of by the lamp holder 12.

Furthermore, even though the transformer supplies from 7,000 to 10,000 volts to the series connected lamps 17, there is no exposed wiring, and the cooperation between terminal posts 21 and the electrode housings 29 provides means for effecting the electrical connection be- 3 tween the two fixture parts without danger of a short circuit to the sign structure.

In the modified lamp holder 12' of FIGS. 6 to 8, the insulating material 33 in which the conductors 34 are embedded is a synthetic material of high dielectric value, such as an epoxy resin. Since this is a material which can be cast or molded as a rigid block 36- or bar, the metal container 13 is not necessary.

The lamp holder 12' comprises a socket block 36 having electrode shells 37 projecting from the lower surface thereof and terminal posts 38, projecting from the upper surface thereof. The socket block has a plurality of cylindrical recesses formed in the lower surface thereof to provide lamp receiving sockets 49. A coil type spring contact 35 is disposed in each socket.

The electrode shells 37 consist of open ended hollow cylinders of Pyrex glass or like dielectric material. The upper quarter inch of the cylinder is embedded in the socket block 36 during the molding or casing operation, and the remainder projects from the block by about two inches.

The socket block 36 also includes the embedded conductors 34 which, in conjunction with the U-shaped lamps 17, provide a series connection between the terminal socket A and the terminal socket B.

Each of the embedded conductors 34 is formed of a relatively stiff uninsulated tinned copper wire, and the ends extend downwardly into the socket by about a quarter of an inch to provide an anchor on which the contact spring 35 can be mounted.

The terminal post 38 as shown in FIG. 8 comprises a brass screw 39 having its lower end embedded in the material 33 of the socket block 36. A sleeve 40 of insulating material surrounds the shank of the screw 39 and a cap nut 41 is threaded on to the upper end of the screw to provide a rounded end which makes contact with contact springs 30 of the transformer 11.

The sleeves 40 are molded at the same time as the rest of the block 36 and form a part of the material 33 of the socket block 36 to provide a unitary structure.

The contact springs 35 in the terminal sockets A and B are each anchored by a separate anchor 45 which is embedded in the material 33 of the socket block 3d and projects into the socket and is crimped over the end convolution of the spring 35. Electrical connection between the terminal spring contact 35 and the terminal post 38 is made 'by means of a wire braid 42.

Holes 43 and brackets 44 provide mounting means.

The fixture and identical lamp holder 12 is also suitable for use with straight tubular lamps 53 as shown in FIG. 9 when suitable means 54 are provided for connecting the lower ends of the lamps.

The disclosures of my aforesaid copending applications, Serial Nos. 273,948 and 331,020 are incorporated herein by reference insofar as consistent with the teachings of the present application.

Although only a preferred embodiment of my invention has been shown and described herein, it will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the construction shown without departing from the scope of the invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fixture for the series connected lamps of a low intensity display sign comprising a transformer having a pair of sockets mounted in one surface thereof, an elongate lamp holder having a row of lamp receiving sockets mounted in a first surface thereof, two terminal posts projecting from a second surface of said lampholder and received within said transformer sockets, conductor means providing a series connection between certain of said lamp receiving sockets and between each of two other sockets and a terminal post, said lampholder also including a body of insulating material surrounding said conductor means and .at least a portion of said lamp receiving sockets, and'electrical contact means disposed in said transformer sockets engaging said terminal posts.

2. A fixture as claimed in claim 1 in which said insulating material is an epoxy resin.

3. A fixture as claimed in claim 1 in which said lamp holder includes an elongate receptacle, said body of insulating material being disposed within said receptacle.

4. A lamp fixture for a low intensity cellular type display sign having a support structure, comprising a transformer, a lamp holder, and means to secure said transformer and lamp holder on opposite sides of a portion of said support structure, said lamp holder comprising an elongate sheet metal container, electrode housings mounted in one wall of said container to provide lamp receiving sockets, potting compound disposed in said container and surrounding said electrode housings, and conductor means embedded in said potting compound, insulated terminal posts projecting from another wall of said container, and contact means disposed in said electrode housings for effecting electrical contact with the ferrule of a neon type lamp, said embedded conductor means connecting each terminal post to a contact means, and connecting remaining contact means to each other by pairs, said transformer including socket means receiving said terminal posts, and electrical contact means disposed in said socket means and engaging said terminal posts.

5. A lamp holder for a plurality of series connected neon lamps having ferrule type ends and arranged side by side, comprising an elongate sheet metal container, electrode housings mounted in a first wall of said container to provide lamp receiving sockets, potting compound disposed in said container and surrounding said electrode housings, and conductor means embedded in said potting compound, terminal posts projecting from a second wall of said container and including insulating sleeves, and contact means disposed in said electrode housings for effecting electrical contact with the ferrule of a neon type lamp, said embedded conductor means connecting each terminal post to a contact means and connecting the remaining contact means to each other by pairs.

6. A lamp holder as claimed in claim 5 in which said second wall is in the form of a separate cover, and a sheet of mica disposed between said electrode housings and said cover, said terminal posts being mounted on said cover and having a shank portion extending through said mica sheet.

7. A lamp fixture for a neon lamp sign having a support structure comprising a transformer, a lamp holder, and means to secure said transformer and lamp holder on opposite sides of a portion of said support structure, said la-mp holder comprising a socket block molded from a high dielectric value synthetic resin and having recesses formed in one surface thereof to provide lamp receiving sockets, and conductor means embedded in the material of said socket block, terminal posts projecting from another surface of said socket block, insulating sleeves for said terminal posts, and contact means disposed in said sockets for effecting electrical contact with the ferrule of a neon type lamp, said embedded conductor means connecting each terminal post to a contact means, and connecting remaining contact means to each other by pairs, said transformer including socket means receiving said terminal posts, and electrical contact means disposed in said socket means and engaging said terminal posts.

8. A lamp fixture as claimed in claim 7 in which said first mentioned contact means is a coil spring, said embedded conductors being of a relatively stiff wire and having at each end an anchor end extending into said socket, said coil spring being mounted on said anchor end and being electrically connected thereto.

9. A lamp fixture as claimed in claim 7 in which said terminal post has one end embedded in the material of said socket block, and in which said insulating sleeve is formed of said socket =b1ock material and is integral therewith.

10. A lamp holder for a plurality of series connected neon lamps arranged side by side, comprising a socket block molded from a high dielectric value synthetic resin 5 contact means disposed in said sockets for effecting electri- 10 cal contact with the ferrule of a neon ty-pe lamp, said embedded conductor means connecting each terminal post to a contact means, and connecting certain other contact means to each other.

No references cited.

JAMES W. LAWRENCE, Primary Examiner. ROBERT SEGAL, Assistant Examiner. 

10. A LAMP HOLDER FOR A PLURALITY OF SERIES CONNECTED NEON LAMPS ARRANGED SIDE BY SIDE, COMPRISING A SOCKET BLOCK MOLDED FROM A HIGH DIELECTRIC VALUE SYNTHETIC RESIN AND HAVING A ROW OF RECESSES FORMED IN ONE SURFACE THEREOF TO PROVIDE LAMP RECEIVING SOCKETS, AND CONDUCTOR MEANS EMBEDDED IN THE MATERIAL OF SAID SOCKET BLOCK, TERMINAL POSTS PROJECTING FROM ANOTHER SURFACE OF SAID SOCKET BLOCK, CONTACT MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID SOCKETS FOR EFFECTING ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE FERRULE OF A NEON TYPE LAMP, SAID EMBEDDED CONDUCTOR MEANS CONNECTING EACH TERMINAL POST TO A CONTACT MEANS, AND CONNECTING CERTAIN OTHER CONTACT MEANS TO EACH OTHER. 